Just in, from Republican mayoral candidate Ken Johnson:
Ken Johnson, the Republican nominee for Mayor of the City of Bristol, today expressed his appreciation to the members of the Bristol Charter Revision Commission for agreeing to investigate a majority of his government reform proposals.
“I am committed to government reform as a key component of my campaign platform and I’ve honored that commitment by presenting my ideas to the Commission,” Johnson said, “I appreciate that the Charter Revision Commission will be further evaluating my proposals.”
Among Johnson’s platform planks that the Charter Revision Commission agreed to look into were:
• to move to a City Manager form of government,
• expand the number of Council members from 6 to 9 with minority representation,
• change the Mayor and Council terms from 2 years to 4 years,
• elect the City Council ‘at-large,’
• change from an elected to an appointed Board of Education.
Said Johnson, “At the end of the day, I want the people of Bristol to have the opportunity to vote on their form of government. In the meantime, I will continue to promote these changes and I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to move this agenda through Charter Revision and the City Council.”
“I believe it is time for Bristol to engage a City Manager to focus on the myriad day-to-day responsibilities of running the city.”
Craig Yarde, a leading proponent for a City Council/ Manager form of government added, “Ken’s position regarding changing our city government to a council-manager form is admirable. After all, if this Charter Revision is adopted, Ken will be out of a job.”
“I believe we’ll benefit further from an expanded council and four year terms,” Johnson continued, “so we can bring more ideas to the table and give elected officials the chance to see projects through from start to finish.”
“I’m not waiting for election day to act on my ideas,” Johnson concluded, “I prefer action to talk. Imagine what we can accomplish over the next two years by restoring civility to the government process.”
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
23 comments:
The Charter Commission has to consider all reasonable requests. It doesn't mean that they will enstate them into the Charter.
Tooting his horn a little too early.
The comment from Yarde can not be complete. Please print his entire comment. He fully understands that a City Manager co-exists with elected officials who appoint him or her.
The way it reads is that he is assuming the Johnson is goiing to win, and if so, then he will be out of a job as mayor if the City Manager form of government goes through.
At least that can be one impression.
Just to make sure everyone understands... this entry is merely a press release from Ken Johnson. I didn't write it. I didn't talk to anyone. I just plunked Johnson's press release on the blog so all of you can read it.
Thanks for the explanation.
Ken, Ken, Ken. If you're going to keep on churning out these worthless press releases, would you PLEASE get the stupid caps button on your keyboard fixed before I lose my mind?
Just curious... did you go to school in Bristol or something?
Thanks, buddy.
Keep plunking away, Steve. Even though Bristol doesn't deserve it, you are great.
At least Ken Johnson has press releases stating his position on the issues and what he will do as Mayor.
He has been sending letters this week to voters, I got three in my mailbox stating his position.
Where;s Art Ward?
Ken LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE WE DO NOT WANT AN APPOINTED BOE!!!!! You are just like Stortz - blame, blame, blame and no solutions! How much $$$ did you make on the Buyrgn land sale?
Irene P.
He made over $22,000.00 - seeing as how Ken got that contract, I wonder if it was put out to bid.
Kenny's last ditch efforts of mud-slinging, media blitz of (someone else's)"fresh ideas" and mailbox choking junk mail really do speak volumes...Vote for Ward!
Art Ward, there is an Art Ward on the ballot. What is he running for? Funny I have not seen him posting anything on his positions on these issues or for that matter, post anything at all. Are all the city employees posting in his behalf on taxpayers monies? I guess with his record on the council doing nothing for the last 12 years, what can one expect?
Ok all you city employees, start typing.
Johnson is the voice of change and vision. Ward is just slurred speech.
Johnson has a problem with the city contacting process but it doesn't seem that he had a problem when he made over $22,000.00 on the Bugryn deal or the $10,000.00 Municipal Energy fiasco. What is this earlier posting about Johnson and the bidding process?
Johnson's contract with the BDA to help the Bugryn family find new homes eventually brought him $22K. It was in the paper at the time and is now old news, like Ward's DUI in 1997.
I'm not going to write a story about it unless someone can show me something improper happened.
As far as I know, Johnson did a commendable job with the Bugryns (I heard that from all sides at the time) and earned what he was paid. Was the contract awarded properly? I don't know. But it happened a long time ago and researching it today is pointless.
That's the bottom line.
Sorry, just a fellow citizen here, not a city employee. I'm getting pretty tired of hearing about Mr. Johnson being "the voice of change" although I must admit he does change his mind a lot. He changed his campaign promises and he does change his opinion quite often. As for vision...lets see, he's bashed the City, the Mayor, his opponent, other city council members, the police department, and even some of the citizens of Bristol. The fact that Mr. Ward doesn't chose to state the obvious ad nauseam, beat his chest and sling some mud around says more about Mr. Ward than all Johnson's rantings. Art Ward is going to make a great Mayor!
And therein lays the problem! Poke him. Wake him up. What is his vision for the City of Bristol? I am not satisfied with the statuesque. Are his plans to follow his performance of the last 12 years? Tell us what his plans are. Give me a reason to vote for him. Hell the clock in the council chambers has been there a hell of a long time but that does not mean it deserves to be Mayor.
As past performance has shown, is doing nothing what the city needs?
If you really want to know what his plans are, go to his website, read the paper, ask him. He's a smart guy and he's got some real solid ideas for moving Bristol forward. Don't let the fact that he's not going around trying to convince everyone that he's going to hang the moon and reinvent the wheel fool you. His is the kind of solid leadership Bristol needs right now.
Steve Bravo....The reason we had to hire Johnson to help the Bugryn was because not one Democratic politican went to them on behalf of the city to help them.
Instead Art Ward followed Frank Nicastro blindly on this issue and NEVER spoke up for the family.
Now, he has a tear running down his cheek about it being the toughest vote he has ever made. That's sad b/c for me a tough vote would be to raise taxes, so it looks like more of the same with Ward.
I wonder when the issue on Eminent Domain comes before the legislature with regards to the New London case how will
Councilman/State Represetative Frank Nicastro vote?
Well first Frank will wring his hands and get teary eyed infront of the cameras. Then he will put his head down, like he is deep in thought. Then he will talkk about Bristol and the tough decisions he made here, then a little more hand wringing and sighing, then he will seee what Burns and Hamzy vote. Then he will test the air to see what is the popular thing to do and he will do it. There will probably be something in the paper about it and maybe even a story about him playing his trumpet. Get out Frank! The next generation wants you out. Seniors eventually more on to better places then here and when that happens, the younger generation will remember.
Steve, I think you had it right when you said that Ken's contract with the city for the Bugryn's property is old news unless something improper was done. Someone needs to explain this concept to Ken. He keeps talking about contracts not being awarded properly but it is all rhetoric. He needs to be quiet and stop bad mouthing the city, it's employees and residents unless of course he has some concrete evidence.
Simply put, was the contract put out to bid?
Who selected Abuyers Market?
Who approved it?
It appears that it was done during Nicastros reign: is that why it isn't being pursued?
What ever happened to investigative reporting?
Yah, he did a good, supposedly.
So did Cianci in Provedince and he went to jail.
One can do a good job and still be honest.
Even if the Charter Revision Commission goes forward and gets the City Manger question on the ballot, it wouldn't voted on until 2008.
Since the person elected this year cannot be removed from office (and resigning would not make a difference), a City manager could not be put in place until 11/2009.
So Craig, (who has no city knowledge and experience (just like Johnson)), whoever gets elected this November would not be out of a job until 11/2009, which could happen anyway, even if we choose not to go with a City Manager.
I support the idea, but please lets get the facts straight. Do some research before you talk.
HIS Ideas? Give us a break! They were the ideas of the voters and Ken jumped on them. Hey Ken I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell - can you sell it for me?
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